Kerry calls climate change 'weapon of mass destruction'

(Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned Indonesians on Sunday that man-made climate change could threaten their entire way of life, deriding those who doubted the existence of "perhaps the world's most fearsome weapon of mass destruction".

Kerry described those who do not accept that human activity causes global warming as "shoddy scientists" and "extreme ideologues", and said big companies and special interests should not be allowed to "hijack" the climate debate.

Aides said Kerry had chosen Indonesia for the first of what is to be a series of speeches on the topic this year partly because, as an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, it is particularly at risk from rising sea levels.

"Because of climate change, it's no secret that today Indonesia is ... one of the most vulnerable countries on Earth," Kerry told an audience of students at a high-tech U.S.-funded cultural center at a Jakarta mall.

"It's not an exaggeration to say that the entire way of life that you live and love is at risk."

In the middle of a trip to Asia and the Middle East, Kerry argued that it made no sense for some nations to act to stem climate change while others did nothing.

"Think about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It doesn't keep us safe if the United States secures its nuclear arsenal while other countries fail to prevent theirs from falling into the hands of terrorists," he said.

"The bottom line is this: it is the same thing with climate change. In a sense, climate change can now be considered another weapon of mass destruction, perhaps even the world's most fearsome weapon of mass destruction."

Kerry's public push takes place against a backdrop of a negotiation among nearly 200 nations about a possible new global treaty on climate change that is scheduled to be agreed next year and to address greenhouse gas emissions from 2020.

U.S.-CHINESE COOPERATION

In Beijing on Friday, Kerry announced that China and the United States, the world's largest emitters of such gases, had agreed to intensify information-sharing and policy discussions on their plans to limit greenhouse gas emissions after 2020.

U.S. officials made clear they hope that the example of two countries historically on different sides of the debate working together might inspire other nations to do more.

The global scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have said it is at least 95 percent probable that human activities, led by the burning of fossil fuels, are the dominant cause of global warming since the 1950s.

However, some skeptics argue that a rise in global temperatures is due to natural variability or other non-human factors.

The fact that temperatures have risen more slowly in the past 15 years despite a continued rise in greenhouse gas emissions has also emboldened those who question the need for urgent action.

Kerry, who faces a politically tricky decision at home on whether to allow Canada's TransCanada Corp to build the Keystone XL pipeline over the opposition of environmental groups, had little patience for such skeptics in his speech.

"We just don't have time to let a few loud interest groups hijack the climate conversation," he said. "I'm talking about big companies that like it the way it is, that don't want to change, and spend a lot of money to keep you and me and everybody from doing what we know we need to do.

"We should not allow a tiny minority of shoddy scientists ... and extreme ideologues to compete with scientific fact," he said. "The science is unequivocal and those who refuse to believe it are simply burying their heads in the sand."

Comments

Kerry, fresh from his Syria triumph, speaks with scientific authority from the Obama/Gore/Liberal/ Green playbook on CC. Too bad he wasn't speaking to a crowd in Phukut, which is what most people probably thought about him after his speech.

only we can do that at the ballot box. we re-elect 90% of the politicians when they have a 5% approval rating...why? we pay them six figures and benefits for life...why? we let them run amok with power and deficit spending...why?

The shame is that the administration says the debate is over as far as climate. Galileo, I believe, was told a similar thing by the Church when it came to the revolution of the earth around the sun. Cap and Trade is another way for Goldman Sachs and cronies to make money. Let's start by requiring factories to produce zero emissions, have nearly zero emission gasoline engines in all new vehicles and some of the problems will be mitigated....by the way, look up how much energy it takes to scoop up enough lithium to make your Prius run.

Kerry is a pompous ass! I guess he saw how much money Al Gore is scamming from the true believers and wants to get in on it! Climate change is always going on. Glaciers used to go all the way down to North America and now they are not there. How much climate change did that take!

I would rather it be warmer then colder,you can't grow food in a cool climate,and that is were the next global crises is heading,it won't be long before they bring this up. food shortage, i'm sure it's next. when we can't grow food here in this country because it is to cold.this guy has always bothered me,he hates this county,and never had our best interest in mind!!!